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Buchar top-10 at Ft. William DH

Whistler's Claire Buchar and West Vancouver's Micayla Gatto cracked the top-10 at the downhill World Cup race at Ft. William, Scotland this past weekend, on one of the longest and most technical races on the tour.

Whistler's Claire Buchar and West Vancouver's Micayla Gatto cracked the top-10 at the downhill World Cup race at Ft. William, Scotland this past weekend, on one of the longest and most technical races on the tour.

Sabrina Jonnier of France continued to dominate, this time winning by nine seconds, but Buchar and Gatto were close to the top-five.

The top Canadian on the men's side was Steve Smith from the North Shore, who placed 12 th overall - less than seven seconds back of the podium. Greg Minnaar of South Africa placed first, followed by Sam Hill of Australia and Samuel Blekinsop of New Zealand.

WORCA hosting trail day on Saturday

The Whistler Off Road Cycling Association will be hosting a volunteer trail day on Saturday afternoon from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., meeting at the pullout on the left side of the highway opposite Trudy's Landing in between Alpine and Emerald to do some work on the No Flow Zone. Bring your tools, gloves and water, as well as everything you need to work in the forest for a few hours. WORCA will provide some tools and refreshments after the work day.

Crankworx registration opens

While there are a few invite-only events at Crankworx this year - the Volkswagen Trick Showdown and Monster Energy Slopestyle - the majority of events are open to the public, including the Dual Slalom, Giant Slalom, Garbanzo Downhill, Womenworx, Air Downhill, Canadian Open Enduro and the Canadian Open Downhill. There is also open registration for Trialsworx, the Ken Quon Memorial Ride On cross country race, and for the second annual Canadian Cheese Rolling Championships.

Registration for Crankworx events opened on Monday, and organizers are urging riders to sign up early as in recent years many of the events have sold out. Registration for Crankworx events is at www.crankworx.com for $55 to $65, depending on the event. Onsite registration is also available for another $10 - another reason to register early.

Registration for the Ken Quon Memorial Ride On is not available, but more information will be posted at www.kenquonrideon.com as it becomes available.

Trialsworx will also be accepting registration at www.baiabros.com at a future date, while registration for the cheese rolling is still to come.

Morgan Maher to represent B.C. at karate nationals

Morgan Maher, a member of the Pemberon/Whistler Karate Club, took part in a section tournament on June 6 to decide who would represent the province at the National Karate Tournament in Calgary from July 23 to 25. Maher won her division in the kumite (sparring) event, as well as the right to represent B.C. at the nationals.

Test of Metal brings back staggered start

The organizers of the North Shore Credit Union Test of Metal are bringing back the self-seeding starts this year, giving riders an opportunity to place themselves in different start chutes depending on how long they expect it will take them to complete the race. The idea is to prevent bunching up on the singletrack and other issues that can happen in an 800-rider mass start.

"Last year worked really well," said race director Cliff Miller. "The guy coming in at five hours doesn't want to be lined up with the rider finishing in three hours."

The organizers have also announced a small change of course. Instead of finishing on Logger's Creek Trail, riders will take the new corridor trail and enter the finish area from the opposite direction this year.

Ten $100 cash prizes sponsored by local businesses will be on the course this year, and there will be prizes of $250 for the top men and women in the elite category, followed by $150 for second, $100 for third, $75 for fourth and $50 for fifth.

"If someone leads tape-to-tape, he or she could take home at least $1,250," said Miller. "That's not bad for a Saturday afternoon ride."

Organizers believe another course record is possible this year with good weather, as improvements continue to be made to trails along the Test of Metal route.

For more information on the race and the Test of Metal events taking place through the weekend visit www.testofmetal.com.

Squamish Rocks 2010 celebrates the Games

Promising an important announcement for the community, the District of Squamish and Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Games (VANOC) are hosting a celebration of Squamish athletes and volunteers, as well as recreation and culture, this Sunday, June 14.

"Squamish is well-positioned to benefit from the Games next year and the event this weekend will give us a glimpse into what is possible for our community out of our participation in the opportunities associated with the Games," said Mayor Greg Gardner.

The Games have been controversial in Squamish, which has seen potential legacies come and go with changes of plans. Currently the town houses a volunteer centre, drives programming at Whistler Olympic Park through the Callaghan Local Organizing Committee, and may house hundreds, if not thousands, of Olympic workers and volunteers on a cruise ship. Other initiatives are underway to develop a ski jump progression in the town, and to encourage visitors to stop and explore the town on the way to events in Whistler.

Squamish Rocks 2010 takes place from noon to 3 p.m. at the Squamish Adventure Centre, with the special announcement at 1:45 p.m.

Ski cross champion Aleisha Cline will emcee the event, and several other athletes are expected to participate and meet with the public.

Other attractions include live entertainment from Dana Marie, The Jocelyn Band, Bitterly Divine and The Paperboys, interactive sport demos and activities, a sneak peak at the 2010 torch, and a chance for kids to meet 2010 mascots Miga, Quatchi and Sumi.

Comfortably Numb trail run drawing closer

If you still haven't registered for the Comfortably Numb Trail Run, organizers are encouraging you to get off the fence sooner than later so they know how much water they'll need at mid-station, and how much food to provide at the finish. June 9 was the deadline to receive a free long-sleeved t-shirt, but late entries an still get technical running hats and water bottles.

Comfortably Numb is a 25 km trail run that starts at Wedgemont Creek and follows the mountain bike trail to Spruce Grove Park, via Lost Lake Park. There is 800 metres of climbing from start to finish, spectacular views of the valley, and enough singletrack to make the run interesting from start to finish.

Registration is $50, and you can sign on at www.comfortablynumb.ca.

Sea to Sky Trail Challenge rolls July 11

Large sections of the Sea to Sky Trail from D'Arcy to Squamish are now established, thanks to the combined efforts of local governments, trail builders and advocates throughout the corridor. There are also some new sections, including two new sections to the south of Whistler that were completed over the past two years and two new sections of a trail that will one day link all of Squamish.

While that's a lot of trail, the 14th annual Sea to Sky Trail Challenge breaks the ride up over two days, and gives riders the option of missing the highway section from Pemberton to Whistler.

This year's event takes place on July 11 and 12. Organizers have limited the number of participants to 150 for logistical reasons, and are expecting to sell out. Early registration is recommended.

The first day goes from D'Arcy to Pemberton, following a selection of roads and trails to One Mile Lake where riders have the option of loading their bikes onto trucks or to keep pedaling. Day two is from Whistler to Squamish, and includes four recently added trails to the south of Whistler.

Overall the race has very little technical riding, and there are regular aid stations along the way.

For more information or registration visit http://greatexplorations.com/trips/canada/cyclingevents/seatosky.asp. Registration forms are also available at The Bike Co in Pemberton and both Corsa Cycles and Tantalus Bike Shop in Squamish.

Whistler Disc Golf Club starting up a new season

The Whistler Disc Golf Club (WDGC) is gearing up for its second official season, and is looking for members. The cost is $5 for a membership, $2 to enter the doubles tournament and $2 for the optional acepot - money that goes to the first player with a hole in one on the 27 hole Spruce Grove Course.

Even if you don't want to compete the organizers are looking for members to boost the profile of the club in Whistler.

The club meets on Wednesday nights at 6 p.m., meeting at the fourth hole where the trails meet. The municipality is asking players to start using the pedestrian bridge off the gravel parking lot behind the campground to avoid construction of the new spa.

The WDGC is also working with the municipality to complete some upgrades to the course, include new or improved tee boxes, pruning and possibly some new baskets. They will also host a few volunteer days in the coming weeks to make on-course improvements.

For more information about the club visit www.whistlerdiscgolf.com.